Washington, DC—On Sunday, September 20, local architecture students from the Washington Metropolitan area convened at the National Building Museum for the annual Interschool Student Design Competition. Each year, this event is organized by the three Washington, DC, area chapters of the American Institute of Architects (AIA)—AIA Northern Virginia, AIA Potomac Valley, and AIA DC—and sponsored by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). The competition has been a celebrated tradition for over two decades, fostering creativity and collaboration among emerging architects.
Each team featured representatives for several Washington, DC, area architecture programs including the Catholic University of America, Howard University, Morgan State University, the University of Maryland, the University of the District of Columbia, and the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC)—Virginia Tech.
During this year’s competition, students focused on a civic pavilion design and tectonics. Students were challenged to add an event pavilion to the ongoing civic improvement project, the Dupont Deck Over. This project aims to create a public plaza gathering and event space by decking over the Connecticut Avenue underpass north of the Dupont Circle public park. Students worked in teams to develop innovative solutions to this real-world challenge, with guidance from mentors within the architecture and design industry.
“One of the things that’s exciting about this year’s competition is that it’s a local project that is currently under construction. The company in charge of the actual project will be looking to the students to see what kind of ideas they have, and they are hopeful that the students will have some new ideas that they have not thought of,” said Sonia Jarboe, AIA, Chair of the Interschool Student Design Competition.
NCARB proudly sponsors the competition as part of its ongoing mission to support architecture students and raise awareness about the various pathways to licensure. Through this competition, students earned credit toward the Architectural Experience Program® (AXP®), a key component on the path to licensure, and received a free NCARB Record for a year. By sponsoring the Interschool Student Design Competition, NCARB aims to connect with local students and architecture schools to promote innovation in the field of architecture.
As the competition evolves each year, NCARB and local AIA chapters are committed to nurturing future generations of architects and providing platforms for their growth and success. Winners of the 2026 Interschool Design Competition will be announced in late September, with prizes awarded to the top teams for their innovative and thoughtful designs.
About NCARB
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards membership is made up of the architectural licensing boards of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NCARB, in collaboration with these boards, facilitates the licensure and credentialing of architects to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.
To achieve these goals, NCARB works with its Member Boards and volunteers to develop and facilitate licensure standards, including the national examination and experience program. NCARB also recommends regulatory guidelines for licensing boards and helps architects expand their professional reach through the NCARB Certificate. Connect with NCARB on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube.
About ISDC
Since 1999, the Washington, DC, metro area chapters of the American Institute of Architects and the National Building Museum have collaborated to organize the annual Interschool Student Design Competition. These competitions have helped open doors for students to the various architecture curriculums and the architecture profession. Participants in the design competition are students at all levels enrolled in the area’s university architecture programs. For more information, please visit aianova.org/isdc.
